Written by Liz Gannes
Posted Monday, December 29, 2008 at 10:15 AM PT

 

Intel and Yahoo (Still) Revving up TV Widgets

Let the CES news parade commence! We still have a week till the Las Vegas gadgetcon, but companies are already hyping what they’re bringing to the show. CNET has a nice read today on Intel and Yahoo’s Widget Channel, which overlays simple forms of interactivity (e.g. current weather, other TV shows and movies an actor has appeared in, and sports stats) on top of television broadcasts.

We covered the Widget Channel’s initial announcement in August as well as its predecessor product from Yahoo a full two years ago. So is this actually going to launch at CES? Well, no. The Widget Channel will just be in “more finished form.” But! Partners such as Samsung and Toshiba have signed on to offer it.

Intel and Yahoo have refined the product through testing as well as review of TV-watching habits by Intel’s resident anthropologist. They aim to make it simple, basic, and light-weight, rather than robust and prominent. Do you want widgets on your TV? was our question last August, and pretty much all readers answered yes except for those who hoped providers like Comcast, AT&T and Yahoo would focus on more pressing concerns. Well, from the sounds of it this Widget Channel is interactivity at its most basic — a.k.a. not something anyone will get particularly passionate about.

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Topic: Hardware, Software
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Comments & Trackbacks

  1. I think gen twitter will want this type of service so they can always feel loved and wanted

    sally on December 29th, 2008 at 1:17 pm - Permalink

  2. [...] TV Widgets are ComingAt CES, Intel and Yahoo announce that they are revving up for the move to bring Internet widgets to TV. You can probably expect Internet widgets to make an appearance on new gaming consoles as well! [...]

    Widgetmatic » Blog Archive » Widget Trends and News: Dec 31, 2008 on December 31st, 2008 at 8:42 am - Permalink

  3. [...] Want Widgets on Your TV? Yahoo and Intel have been peddling this widgets-on-your-TV thing for quite a while now, but it seems they’ve finally brought a whole bunch of friends on the bandwagon. [...]

    Do You Want Widgets on Your TV? « NewTeeVee on January 9th, 2009 at 11:32 am - Permalink

  4. [...] TV Widgets are ComingAt CES, Intel and Yahoo announce that they are revving up for the move to bring Internet widgets to TV. You can probably expect Internet widgets to make an appearance on new gaming consoles as well! [...]

    Metablocks | Widget Trends and News: Dec 31, 2008 - Widget, Gadget and Social Media App Design and Development on January 10th, 2009 at 2:19 pm - Permalink

  5. [...] and Intel have been peddling this widgets-on-your-TV thing for quite a while now, but it seems they’ve finally brought a whole bunch of friends on the bandwagon. [...]

    Do You Want Widgets on Your TV? | Viral Video Maker on January 11th, 2009 at 6:07 pm - Permalink

  6. [...] Connected TV: This service, which lets you add “TV Widgets” — small Web applications — to an Internet-connected TV, could be a disaster. It could [...]

    CES 2009: My Hit List « NewTeeVee on January 13th, 2009 at 9:00 pm - Permalink

  7. [...] a move like this should spur rival cable and telcos into offering similar services. Additionally, Yahoo is building its own widget platform that will undoubtedly offer similar social features at some point built [...]

    Twitter, Facebook, YouTube Coming to FiOS TV « NewTeeVee on March 14th, 2009 at 10:47 am - Permalink

  8. [...] you want them or not, widgets are on their way. Yahoo and Intel are ramping up their TV platform to enable access to weather, stocks and news information on the ole TV, and [...]

    Do You Want Widgets on Your TV? TDG Says You Do « NewTeeVee on March 17th, 2009 at 2:25 pm - Permalink

  9. [...] at NewTeeVee puts it: Whether you want them or not, widgets are on their way. Yahoo and Intel are ramping up their TV platform to enable access to weather, stocks and news information on the ole TV, and [...]

    TVloop Blog - Discussing TV and Social Media on March 17th, 2009 at 11:02 pm - Permalink

  10. [...] From bluecasting television to widgets, this will soon take off in fact Yahoo and Intel are ramping up their TV platform to enable access to weather, stocks and news information on the ole TV, and [...]

    Blue Magic illusion « Futureye’s Blog on May 25th, 2009 at 2:37 pm - Permalink

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